McCORMICK & COMPANY  2008 ANNUAL REPORT

New products such as Crusting Blends®, gourmet sea salts and flavored pepper support the growing eat-at-home trend in the U.S., helping consumers easily create a restaurant-style meal. Our expanded line of U.S. slow cooker seasonings saw a 27% increase in 2008 sales. In Europe we have introduced new products for grilling, ethnic seasoning mixes and a range of items for more involved cooks.       McCormick innovation also supports the growth of industrial customers in markets around the world. A robust pipeline of products for leading food manufacturers includes

flavors for snacks, convenience foods, side dishes, beverages and cereal. New products for global restaurant customers include coating blends for poultry and seasonings and sauces to flavor side dishes and sandwiches. In addition to these customized products, we added 10 new blends to our branded food service products.        Across both businesses, sales of products launched in the last three years represented 8% of 2008 sales.   continued>>